Tag: alicia keys

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FM Culture New Music Trending

FMHipHop New Music Roundup

It’s Monday so let’s see if you were able to catch up on all the new music that dropped over the weekend.  FMHipHop has you covered! Now, we all know Drake and 21 Savage arguable dropped album of the year, but there were other artists who put out music as well.

Boldy James & Futurewave-Mr.Ten08

Detroit rapper Boldy James has been on a blaze these past few years.  This year alone, he has already dropped many singles and a few projects.  He linked with producer Futurewave this time to create, Mr.Ten08.  Last month, he worked with Toronto producer Nicholas Craven for FairExchange, No Robbery.  Boldy is on fire!  The joint project with Futurewave boasts 10 songs with only one feature, 2100 Bagz.  Boldy shot the video for “Flag on the Play” and I’m sure more visuals will be coming soon.

https://twitter.com/_fmhiphop/status/1583112318283837441?s=46&t=spPNntm0sLTNcSkPUHNmOw

Alicia Keys-Santa Baby

Alicia Keys has done many things in her illustrious career, but in 2022, she comes across a first.  The 15-time Grammy winner has released her first holiday album, Santa Baby!  Also, she is under a new label, her own in fact, Alicia Keys Records.  And, this is the first project under the label.  A big congrats is in order for the legendary singer, songwriter, and producer!  Alicia Keys brings in the holiday on this album with 11 songs, four of them being original songs by her.  She just released the video for the lead single, “December Back 2 June”.  Santa Baby is only available on Apple Music.

Lecrae-Church Clothes 4

The Christ influenced artist is back with his Church Clothes mixtape series.  Lecrae declares these tapes are important as they describe who he truly is.  The Houston rapper grew up listening to and falling in love with hip-hop.  As time went on, he came to know Jesus Christ, but his love for hip-hop never faded.  On Instagram, Lecrae describes his music as ‘Outkast meets the writings of Moses’.  Check out the new project now on streaming platforms!

Written by: Brandon Simmons

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FM Fashion Trending

The Met Gala 2022 Best and Worst Looks

The Met Gala 2022 was held on the first Monday in May. The dress code for the red carpet is Gilded Glamor and White Tie. The goal for this year was to bring the 19th century into the modern age. Some invitees look outstanding on the red carpet, meanwhile others come up short. These are some of the worst and best looks that hit the carpet.

These 26 looks are just a fraction of the worst and best looks that hit the red carpet.

Worst Looks On The Red Carpet

Bad Bunny in Burberry

Bad Bunny Credit: Getty Images

Megan Thee Stallion in Moschino gown and Stuart Weitzman heel

Megan Thee Stallion Credit: Getty Images

Anderson .Paak in Gucci

Anderson .Paak/ credit: Getty Images

Kodi Smit-McPhee in Bottega Veneta

Kodi Smit-McPhee Credit: Getty Images

Billie Eilish in Gucci

Billie Eilish Credit: Getty Images

Chlöe Baileyin Area gown and Jimmy Choo heels

Chlöe Bailey Credit: Getty Images

Gunna in Thom Browne with Ledger Nano X wallet

Gunna Credit: Getty Images

Denée Benton in Atelier Prabal Gurung gown and Jimmy Choo mule

Denée Benton Credit: Getty Images

Oscar Isaac in Thom Browne and Cartier jewelry

Oscar Isaac  Credit: Getty Images

Nicola Coughlan in Richard Quinn

Nicola Coughlan Credit: Getty Images

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz-Beckham in Valentino

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz-Beckham Credit: Getty Images

Venus Williams in Chloé suit and Stuart Weitzman heel with Jimmy Choo bag

Venus Williams Credit: Getty Images Images

Kid Cudi in Kenzo

Kid Cudi Credit: Getty Images

Best Looks At The Met Gala

Nyles Hutson in Vivienne Westwood at Met Gala

Nyles Hutson Credit: Getty Images

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys in Ralph Lauren

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Credit: Getty Images

Ciara in Michael Kors Collection gown and Jimmy Choo heels

Ciara Credit: Getty Images

Teyana Taylor in Iris van Herpen

Teyana Taylor Credit: Getty Images

Tessa Thompson in Carolina Herrera at Met Gala

Tessa Thompson Credit: Getty Images

Kerry Washington in Tory Burch gown and Jimmy Choo heels

Kerry Washington Credit: Getty Images

Jack Harlow in Givenchy

Jack Harlow Credit: Getty Images

Future in Custom BOSS for the Met Gala

Future Credit: Getty Images

Nicki Minaj in Burberry

Nicki Minaj Credit: Getty Images

Janelle Monáe in Ralph Lauren

Janelle Monáe Credit: Getty Images

Shawn Mendes in Tommy Hilfiger at Met Gala

Shawn Mendes Credit: Getty Images

Odell Beckham Jr. in custom Cactus Plant Flea Market, jewelry by Gabriel The Jeweler

Odell Beckham Credit: Getty Images

Cardi B in Versace at Met Gala

Cardi B
Cardi B
Credit: Getty Images

 

Designers take chances when creating looks for those invited to the Met Gala. Sometimes these creation are great but not every outfit is a work of art. Even if designer’s miss the mark, they are still some of the best in the fashion industry. Can’t wait until I get my own custom look.

 

 

Xavier “Writer X” Griffin | Facebook @WriterX93 |Twitter @WRITER_X_713 

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FM News Trending

Snoop Admires Slick Rick’s Chain

Snoop Admires Slick Rick’s Chain
Snoop Dogg and Slick Rick at Bally’s Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles. Image source: Bally's.

Snoop’s always having fun, and he’s also always working. He posted a photo of him and Slick Rick in the studio on Instagram. In the picture, Snoop has a lot of Slick Rick’s chains around his neck. 

One of the chains has a Libra piece that Snoop will get for himself. He’s a Libra, so it’s only suitable. Slick Rick is known for wearing a lot of jewelry while he performs, as he is one of the first rappers to start doing that. His inspiration came from Mr. T and Sammy Davis Jr. He says they were really rocking jewelry first.

The Dogg and The Ruler

This is not the first time these two have been spotted together. Before releasing the “Bacc On Death Row” album, Snoop posted a photo of him and Slick Rick. He captioned it “The ruler and. The dogg.”

Slick Rick is wearing the enormous Libra chain that Snoop adores. The Ruler didn’t make the album, but I’m sure they have something in the vault to sit on.

Slick Rick is Back

Before linking with Snoop Dogg, Slick Rick made a cameo in Alicia Keys’s “City of Gods (Part II)” video. Fivio Foreign’s “City of Gods,” featuring Keys and Ye, just got its sequel.

However, it doesn’t include Ye or Fivio. Alicia holds it down by herself as she serenades New York with her own version. What would a tribute to New York be without a New York legend?

Slick Rick embraces Keys in the video by showering her with multiple extravagant chains. She also is rocking a diamond grill while rolling in a Mercedes Benz EQ, reminiscent of The Ruler himself.

Another New York great was also able to share a moment with Slick Rick. Nicki Minaj gave Slick Rick his flowers after acknowledging her for Women’s History Month in March. She said his legendary song “Mona Lisa” is the first rap song she learned. 

Slick Rick posted a picture of Eve, Lil Kim, Missy Elliot, and Nicky. He also thanked them for their work in hip hop. 

Nicki then retweeted the post with her message to Rick.

A verse from Slick Rick in 2022 would be nostalgic, to say the least. It’s already an instant classic, whether it’s with Snoop, Alicia Keys, or Nicki Minaj, with Slick Rick on the track!

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WRITTEN BY: Brandon Simmons

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FM News

Alicia Keys Launches Graphic Novel Inspired By 2012 Chart-Topping Song: “Girl on Fire”

Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys, a 15-time Grammy Award-winning artist, knew as soon as she heard the hook for her single “Girl on Fire,” in 2012, that she had made a masterpiece. “We wrote the hook, you heard that big beat,” the singer-songwriter told USA TODAY.

“And I was in another room, and I heard it banging against the wall. I called my husband (Grammy-award-winning producer Swizz Beatz), and I said, ‘Babe, I think something special is happening right now.’ ”

As a result, her instincts were correct. Therefore, Alicia Keys single earned five platinum certifications, and her album debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The song’s lyrics inspire girls and women to assert their identity and power.

Alicia Keys’ Girl on Fire’ Song Inspired Her to Create a Book

As a matter of fact, the hit song has prompted Alicia Keys to write a book with the same title. Co-written by Alicia Keys and Andrew Weiner, “Girl on Fire,” is a young adult graphic novel. Keys, who insisted that she work with a black illustrator, appointed comics and storyboard artist Brittney Williams to create the artwork for her first book. The book came out on Mar. 1.

Alicia Keys explained the following in an interview with CNN:

“‘Girl On Fire’ is such a special song … I mean, who knew that this song would have this kind of energy, that it would hold and create. [The book] has been in the works for about five years. It felt like it would be so beautiful to really go deeper into the story of a girl on fire named Lolo, who is being raised in Brooklyn. She’s 17 years old. She has a single father who’s raising herself and her brother and her brother ended up getting harassed by a police officer. Out of the anger and the desire to protect her brother, she discovers that she has this power that she never knew she had.”

The Empowerment of Women and Young Girls

 A decade after the song’s release, Alicia Keys ensures Girl on Fire inspires women. Similarly, girls need to stand up for their rights when injustice occurs. However, the author says she is already considering making the Girl on Fire book a film or television series.

Keys adds:

“It’s just as powerful now as we continue to see the world around us making us choose to stand up for peace, to stand up for justice, to stand up for the rights that we deserve. We wanted to use this song to really be that vehicle to remind people: ‘This is your voice. And we can use it to make a beautiful noise.'”

Written by Nikiya Biggs

 

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Jay-Z Finally Accepts Apology from Lil Mama for Jumping on Stage Mid-Performance

Jay-Z forgives Lil Mama for crashing his MTV performance with Alicia Keys

Anyone who’s ever gone to a concert can tell you that emotions run high. It is easy to get swept up at the moment, to lose oneself to the music. This is true whether the venue is a star-lit stage in New York or an orchestral amphitheater. Generally, this entails cheering, singing along, or eye-closed feeling the rhythm. Generally, people don’t jump on stage and harass the musicians. It’s understandable that Jay-Z was a little bit heated after Lil Mama invited herself on stage mid-performance. The artist was so moved by the music, she was unable to stop herself from climbing on stage and joining Hov and Alicia Keys as they sang “Empire State of Mind.” Now, over a decade later, Jay-Z has finally, publicly, forgiven Lil Mama.

Throwback to 2009

Way back in 2009, when crowds could still gather and people could bundle into a room together, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys put on a performance for MTV at the Radio City Music Hall. One native New Yorker felt so much passion hearing “Empire State of Mind,” that she just had to get involved.

She crashed the performance and jumped on stage. Although the singing continued uninterrupted, the damage had been done.

“I would never, I mean me, personally, I would never do that. I would never have the nerve to do that. […] It’s just like, someone’s up here performing […] and we worked really hard with the performance to put on this show for people, y’know, and to interrupt that moment for us, […] I don’t think that was the right thing to do.”

Jay-Z took offense to the rude and unprofessional interruption. He didn’t confront Lil Mama but was more than happy to comment during an interview on The Angie Martinez Show. The artist says that Lil Mama angered him, and he likened the event to Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift.

“I actually thought it was the equivalent to what Kanye did to Taylor Swift but nobody really talked about [Lil Mama] because I’m not a little sweet girl from the middle of Mount of America.”

https://youtu.be/BZiTzH42cw0?t=151

For her part, Alicia Keys had no trouble forgiving Lil Mama. However, that’s probably because Keys never even knew she was onstage.

“Listen, to this day, I truly never knew she was even on the stage — that’s the craziest part of the whole thing for me,” she said. “I was on that stage, [JAY-Z] was in the middle, she was on the other side of Jay, and I never saw her.”

Jay-Z Finally Forgives his “Little Sister”

However, just yesterday as part of a conversation hosted by Alicia Keys, Jay-Z finally admitted to forgiving Lil Mama. When asked directly about the incident, Hov responded, “Yes, yes of course. She our sister, we love her.”

Mama herself responded with an emotional, relived post:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by N I A T I A (@lilmama)

All seems to be forgiven, and no harm was done. Jay-Z however, closes the chapter with a reminder, “I wouldn’t recommend people just jump on other people’s stage.”

by Chris Colasurdo
@cfcolasurdo on Twitter

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Jay Z Says No One Can See Him In A “Verzuz”Battle

“Ain’t nobody that can stand on that stage with me,” Jay Z said. In a Twitter Spaces conversation with R&B singer Alicia Keys, this comment came from Jay. Jay Z and Alicia Keys are New York natives and collaborated on the hip hop banger, “Empire State of Mind.” Jay Z hopped onto Alicia Keys Twitter Spaces alongside Rob Markman of Genius’ conversation in support of her new album, Keys.

Jay Z “Verzuz” Who?

“I ain’t gonna lie, no disrespect. Everyone’s amazing. They’ve done what they’ve done. No one can stand on that stage with me. I’m just telling you guys the real. There’s not a shot. There’s not a chance in hell that anyone can stand on that stage for I don’t know how long it is? Two hours? Two hours… That’s ain’t gonna never happen. Let’s move on from Verzuz and move on to this Keys album.”

Twitter has erupted in defense of Mr. Carter’s claim. Many artists have come up suggested during an epic showdown. A Carter vs. Carter suggestion between Jay Z and Lil Wayne seems to have received the most uproar. Both rappers are heavily influential and carried generations through rap. It is safe to say they are still the most successful in Hip-Hop.

Jay Z and Kanye West Verzuz also caused some push in the Twitter-sphere. With Donda reuniting the Roc-A-Fella brothers, Ye has made his way to the front of the list.

https://twitter.com/Mxziggy/status/1473468234514849793?s=20

Lastly, Eminem has made an honorable mention in the moment. Eminem has lengthy accolades in rap, and many want to know, why not? Markedly, Em has reigned decades and gave archival hits with Hov along the way. Speculations arise if Hov can stand against Em in the Verzuz battle. At this point, can we get a concert?

If You Can’t Beat Em, Join Em

We all know the last person to jump on stage with Hov; it didn’t end well. Lil Mama is undoubtedly living down the moment she decided to jump on stage at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, during Hov and Keys’ performance of “Empire State of Mind.” Hov addressed the infamous moment and said it’s all love. Keys also mentioned in her Drink Champs interview that she never really knew she jumped on stage.

While this conversation makes its rounds, we can hope something comes out of the suggestion box. With Jay Z now being the most Grammy-nominated artist of all time, he is one of the greatest, and we salute his contributions to the rap game.

Written by Antoinette Ford

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Alicia Keys Smokes Blunt, Picks Rappers, and Tells Stories on “Drink Champs”

Source: Drink Champs

In this year alone, the hit show Drink Champs has racked up some memorable moments. Artists like French Montana, Wale, Krayzie Bone, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon have all made rounds. Most notable is perhaps the Kanye West visit. Extremely quotable, surprisingly insightful, and tons of chaotic fun, this one got viewers hooked. Their newest one will certainly give the Ye episode a run for its money, courtesy of special guest, Alicia Keys.

No coughing for Alicia Keys

The fifteen-time Grammy winner pulled no punches. She met hosts N.O.R.E and DJ EFN every step and every drink of the way. Indeed, even when it came to lighting up. When offered a primo blunt by her hosts and told it was fresh from “the mountains of Austria”, Alicia Keys just smiled and replied, “I would prefer the Dominican Republic.” Even so, Keys settled on a European one. However, she did have a concern: coughing. As she said, laughing:

“So… I’m not gonna be coughing and sh*t – I don’t wanna be coughing.”

Nevertheless, she struck up to the applause and cheers from the studio and her hosts. From there, the stories and takes came pouring out.

Keys impersonated her husband, Swizz Beatz, when explaining the roots of Verzuz.  

https://twitter.com/aliciakeysdaiIy/status/1470051369675546635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1470051369675546635%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hotnewhiphop.com%2Falicia-keys-gets-a-round-of-applause-for-smoking-a-blunt-on-drink-champs-news.144482.html

Then came the takes, played in a game of “Truth or Drink”. Suffice to say, Alicia Keys has no problems with telling the truth when it comes to rappers. In short: Wayne over Drake, Scarface over Ice Cube, Outkast over Mobb Deep (though she said that was a hard one), and the big one, Ye over Pharrell. As Keys says, “Big love to Ye.”

It’s safe to say that Alicia Keys had an absolute time on Drink Champs. The entire episode, some two-and-a-half hours long, is up to watch. Earlier in the show, Keys went into detail about a particularly bizarre episode at the 2009 VMAs. Performing “Empire State of Mind” with Jay-Z, Keys says she was too in the zone to notice Lil Mama crashing the performance. Check it out here.

 

Garrett C. Owen

Twitter | Instagram

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Alicia Keys “Never Truly Knew” That Lil Mama Crashed Her and Jay Z’s 2009 MTV Performance

In the heat of a performance, the brain can do some crazy things. Plenty of artists and performers can attest to out-of-body experiences, and losing time altogether. Take Alicia Keys: during her 2009 MTV Video Music Awards performance, she missed a major event. No, she knew Jay-Z was right beside her. In fact, to hear her tell it, the two of them absolutely killed it on stage. That’s just the thing, though: there were three of them on the stage at Radio City Music Hall.

Skip ahead to the 5:00 mark for a “guest” appearance.

Alicia Keys, tuned out and zoned in

That’s Brooklyn rapper Lil Mama joining them on-stage, just 19 at the time. The “Lip Gloss” rapper caught the consternation of Jay-Z, but Keys simply tuned it out. To her, it was just herself and Hov crushing it that night.

“The truth of all the truths — all I know, we was on that stage,” Keys said on a recent episode of Drink Champs. “Jay was here, I was here. In my head, I was such a gorilla at the time and I was like, ‘This is what’s happening. I’m going to destroy this record tonight.’ …  Somehow, however she got over here, I didn’t even bear witness to.”

Keys continued:

“The whole show I was iced — so focused on making it amazing. I went backstage and Jay-Z was like, ‘So, you ain’t see that?’ And I was like, ‘What?’ He was like, ‘Nah, you ain’t just see what just happened?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, we killed it. That’s what happened.’”

Check out a clip from the Drink Champs interview here.

The spectacle was nearly stopped from happening by the intervention of none other than Beyoncé. But up to the stage she went. Then came the look from Jay-Z. All the while, Keys was in the zone, riding a performance high that couldn’t be stopped.

More than twelve years on, Keys says that any bad blood is just water under the bridge. Back in October, Keys spoke on The Morning Hustle regarding he Lil Mama crash, saying:

“That was then. You know, she’s from New York, too. You know, I think she really felt the energy of the record and she loved it and she couldn’t hold herself back. Look, this is what my music does to people. What can we say?”

 

Garrett C. Owen 

Twitter | Instagram

 

 

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Lil Wayne And Pusha-T Are Featured On Alicia Keys’ New Album

ILil Wayne & Pusha-T Are Featured On Same Tracklist, Image Source: XXL
Image Source: XXL

Alicia Keys is dropping her new album KEYS this Friday (December 10). Lil Wayne & Pusha-T both have features on Alicia Keys’ new album and other artists like Swae Lee or Khalid. Pusha T & Lil Wayne have ongoing beef that started over a decade ago. Both rappers are on separate songs and completely different sides of the album. Pusha-T is featured on the intro track of Side One titled Plentiful, whereas Lil Wayne is on Side Two, appearing on the song Nat King Cole.

History Of The Lil Wayne & Pusha-T Beef

The beef stems from the early 2000’s era of Hip-Hop. As a member of the rap group Clipse, Pusha-T accused Lil Wayne of biting their fashion style. The group released the song Mr. Me Too featuring Pharrell Williams. Pharrell also had issues with the Cash Money camp at the time over Wayne stealing his clothing style as well, plus Cash Money owing to the legendary producer money over old collaborations from a few years prior.

The song “Mr. Me Too” addresses rappers admiring and stealing their fashion. This was a blatant Pusha-T’s subliminal diss at Lil Wayne. Since then, the two have been trading subtle jabs at each other in their music. The beef stayed subtle until Pusha T’s infamous diss record “Exodus 23:1” in 2012. This record features lines about Cash Money’s terrible business, shots at Drake, and even more. It’s one of my favorite Pusha T records, and arguably one of the best diss songs in recent rap history.

Lil Wayne responded to the record by tweeting out, “Fuck Pusha-T and everybody that love em.” Then, Wayne followed up by dropping the song “Ghoulish,” which featured the line he tweeted out & even more lines towards the Virginia rap veteran. The record is generally seen by myself & other fans as subpar. However, it’s still interesting to see that Wayne even put out a diss record in response. In most cases, the more prominent artist (Lil Wayne) can simply ignore the smaller one (Pusha-T).

Current Status Of The Beef

Now that Lil Wayne & Pusha-T are featured on Alicia Keys’ new album, it seems that both artists either got over or forgot about their feud. Lil Wayne appeared on an interview with the podcast “Drink Champs” and stated, “I swear to god I don’t know, man,” in response to a question about where the issues stemmed from. Pusha-T also moved on & mainly only has beef with Wayne’s protégé Drake, which stems from this situation.

Which track are you looking forward to most on Alicia’s new album? Read some more FM Hip-Hop posts today as well.

Written By: Oryah Brown

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Khalid’s “Scenic Drive” Is Out Now; Features Alicia Keys, 6LACK And More!

Khalid releases a new mixtape Scenic Drive. Alicia Keys, 6LACK, JID, and more joined Khalid on his most experimental record.

“Scenic Drive is actually one of the spots that I go to, or I went to a lot in El Paso,” American Young Adult recently shared with Zane Lowe. “It’s this drive up this mountainside, and then you look to the left, and you see Juarez and see El Paso.”

Radio interference, the sound of the door closing and car passing, pieces of Khalid’s hit songs. This begins Scenic Drive. Alicia Keys’ robotic voice joins a couple of seconds later with a short PSA: “Thank you for tuning in The Scenic Drive. We’re here tonight to provide the vibes, so sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.”

While Khalid’s new tape remains the artist’s sincerity and unique sadness, experiments also occur throughout Scenic Drive.

The Scenic Drive Cover Marks The Change

Khalid is the translator of modern youth’s collective unconscious. More specifically, the part responsible for melancholy. The main focus of Khalid’s music is on emotional, romantic experiences. Meanwhile, young people’s financial woes and other problems also appear from time to time.

Khalid’s album covers are also usually melancholic. Scenic Drive is not the first disc to have the scenic landscape on its cover, with the artist in a commonly tragic posture.

Scenic Drive by Khalid Not So Young, Rich & Tired
The evolution of Khalid’s album covers. Source: Amazon Music.

However, all Khalid’s album covers had light coloring and were set in the natural landscape. This time the artist is in the nighttime city.

It’s also interesting to see the “car evolution” throughout Khalid’s albums. American Teen cover lacks any vehicle, while Free Spirit already presents the artist on a hippie van. This time, Scenic Drive takes place on a fancy muscle coupe.

The profound change is noticeable, whether it’s just the artist’s change of taste or the new societal perception of melancholy.

Same Inspirations, New Experiments

Khalid still takes a lot of inspiration from synth-pop. However, the artist takes his credo to a new level. Various sound experiments top the Intro mentioned above. Don’t expect a monotonous “Young Dumb & Broke” flow; expect the flitting chorus with the cannonades of ad-libs.

While Khalid is growing as an artist, he progresses as a lyricist. The artist’s brand-name sincerity is now more subtle and complicated, which might be just a result of the growing-up process. Regardless, short phrases with deeper meanings prevail over the record.

Listen to Scenic Drive here:

Written by Nikita Serdiuk